The new zoning is a direct result of a proposal last year by Evergreen Treatment Services of Seattle to put a facility into the former Skookum Building at Montgomery Avenue and Burwell Street. Charleston business owners were joined by others who argued that such a facility would damage a neighborhood already struggling to improve its reputation.

The council could not deny Evergreen's application, but it did enact a six-month moratorium in July to give staff time to come up with zoning options for any facility.

Robert Parker, owner of a Callow Avenue business, thanked the council for taking the time to look at methadone clinic zoning before allowing Evergreen's application. "I think we've all grown a little from it," he said. "I'm really happy my council stood up."

The moratorium expires Thursday, and the zoning the council approved Wednesday won't be in effect until Feb. 11.

Ron Jackson, executive director at Evergreen, said he has since focused on three locations in other counties and is delaying a decision on those until he is sure how the state will fund ongoing treatment. He has no plans now to return to Bremerton and said he would need to be sure neighbors would support the clinic.

The council saw four options, including two that would have allowed a facility to locate in the Skookum Building, but settled early on the freeway/hospital combo.

Runyon moved to amend the ordinance to combine two options that would have added the hospital area to the planning commission's preference. That would also have allowed a clinic to go in the Skookum Building as well as in sites along Kitsap Way, Wheaton Way and in small pockets of Perry Avenue. No one seconded the motion.

Runyon said there might not be a property suitable in the zoning the council picked.

Councilman Nick Wofford said in a previous meeting that he has witnessed Evergreen's operation in Seattle. On Wednesday, he said Bremerton would be served if another proposal came. "It's obvious this type of facility is needed in this community," he said.

In other business, the council unanimously approved the latest design for a Sept. 11 memorial at Evergreen-Rotary Park. The new design reflects the sentiment to scale down the original plans.

Dave Fergus, Kitsap 9-11 Memorial Committee member and designer of the memorial, said public input was important in making the new design smaller than what was originally proposed. "There is no mistake that the design is substantially different than the one that was proposed," he said.

The new plan is estimated by the designers to cost about $360,000 to build and the group is seeking donations to cover those costs.

The council also approved on an 8-1 vote back-in, angled parking on Fourth Street from Kiwanis Park to Warren Avenue, and 8-1 for a $722,500 construction contract with South Bay Excavating for street, sidewalk, lighting and landscaping work on Fourth between Park and Pacific avenues. Councilwoman Carol Arends was the "no" vote on both measures.

Joe Hudson, Evergreen Trophy owner on Fourth Street, said he was happy with many of the changes the city has made lately to create more parking on Fourth but also wanted to see a bulb-out at Pacific and Fourth removed to create two more spaces.

As part of the Fourth Street improvements, the council approved 5-4 an amendment by Runyon to limit the number of parking spaces lost to six. Arends, Wofford, Eric Younger and Adam Brockus voted "no." Runyon, Leslie Daugs, Greg Wheeler, Faye Flemister and Jim McDonald voted "yes."